The test of time
As the first-ever digital-only Watches & Wonders event took place recently, we examine a few of the standout pieces to emerge from among the world’s finest watchmakers
Cartier
certification that fully cased-up watches in this collection are subjected to including temperature variations and water resistance.
This year’s Master Control Chronograph Calendar features a triple-calendar display showcasing the day, date and month as well as a moon phase and a column-wheel chronograph, all backed by an all-new self-winding movement, the JLC 759. The movement returns 65 hours of power reserve, and as with the other watches in the Master Control collection for 2020, JLC used silicon components within its escapement.
Rather than a traditional tachymeter scale to measure speed, the chronograph scale on this timepiece measures heart rates instead. Mild tachycardia cannot be ruled out the moment you try one of these on your wrist for the first time.
Making ultra-complicated watches is a specific area of expertise at Vacheron – it takes little effort to remember the incredible Ref 57260 from 2015 that featured 57 complications. This year, the watchmaker tapped into its Les Cabinotiers department to debut this dual-sided minute repeater – the Les Cabinotiers Astronomical Striking Grand Complication-Ode to Music – which features a total of 19 complications including a perpetual calendar, equation of time marchante, moonphase, among others.
It must be noted that those 19 complications have been built upon an ultra-thin Caliber 1731 movement. While in most cases, we’re content with gazing at the
At the last edition of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Geneve – the Oscars of the watchmaking world – it was Hermès that won the Calendar and Astronomy Watch category with its Arceau L’Heure De La Lune timepiece that launched a year ago. On it, you’ll find a pair of stationary moons made from mother of pearl, with rotating discs indicating the time on them and also revealing the moon phase in the north and south hemisphere (the moon in the top half displays the moonphase in the southern hemisphere while the lower one indicates that of the northern hemisphere).
This year, Hermès introduced five new dial options within the collection with three of them made from meteorites. These include a Black Sahara meteorite dial, a lunar meteorite dial (pictured here) and even a Martian meteorite dial which is limited to only two pieces. Truly, out of this world.
The 1858 collection houses Montblanc’s prized movements – in this timepiece, you’ll find an in-house MB M16.31 caliber that features a rattrapante chronograph. Equally important here is the titanium case. We’ve had iterations in gold, bronze and steel, but there’s been only one 1858 Split Second Chronograph timepiece in titanium which was made for the Only Watch auction last year.
With the rapturous reception it received back then, Montblanc responded by introducing this timepiece with a grade 5 titanium case now limited to 100 pieces.
The blue grand feu enamel dial is made of gold. The outer chronograph scale features a telemeter scale while the inner tachymeter scale, thanks to its snail-shape design, allows you to measure speeds for events lasting up to three minutes. A third of the time it will likely take you to decide you want one of these timepieces.
This timepiece features a case made up of an all-new material called Fibratech that Panerai says is made up of mineral basalt fibres. The watchmaker says that Fibratech is 60 per cent lighter than steel, tested within the aerospace industry, and has “unidirectional mineral fibres produced by the fusion of basalt rock.”
The fibres which are bonded with polymers, are applied in layers and are compressed using a combination of pressure and heat. Apart from Fibratech, the bezel on this watch is also made from another Panerai proprietary material called Carbotech – a carbon fibre composite that is lighter as well as less corrosive than ceramic and titanium.
The military-grade timepiece also features a robust P.9010 automatic-winding caliber with a three-day power reserve.
How thin can a thin watch really be? Piaget answers that question with this year’s Altiplano Ultimate Concept which at just 2mm thick, including the movement and case, now holds the world record for the world’s thinnest mechanical wristwatch.
For a sense of scale, consider that a Dhs1 coin has a thickness of 2.3mm.
This new timepiece is even thinner than the Piaget Ultimate Automatic 910P which held the record for the world’s thinnest automatic wristwatch when it debuted towards the end of 2017, but even that timepiece came in at 2.3mm.
The Altiplano Ultimate Concept with its 900P-UC movement still boasts a power reserve of 40 hours. It merges the bezel, crown, movement, dial and also the case which itself doubles up as a movement plate and is made up of a cobalt-based alloy. Piaget says that this made-to-order timepiece has up to 10,000 different customisation options including allowing customers to choose the colour of the bridge and the dial as well as the finish of the hands and main plate so that no two watches will ever really be the same.
A. Lange & Söhne
Iris, Dubai:
Customers can order via Deliveroo or call the restaurant directly on +971 54 319 2929 who will arrange for the delivery. Daily deliveries from 12pm